Salt air, hurricane wind loads and tropical humidity all change how you have to spec structural steel locally.
Jamaican fabrication has to handle conditions that the standard offshore spec sheets often miss. Salt-laden air, severe rainstorms, sudden hurricane wind loads, and rapid temperature swings between day and night. The right material, finish, and weld pattern can extend the life of a piece of structural steel from five years to twenty.
Material grades to ask for
Spec the right starting alloy and you save 80% of the future maintenance. Within 5km of the coast we default to 316 stainless or marine-grade aluminum; inland projects can comfortably run 304 with proper coating.
Coating matters as much as material
Powder coat applied over an etch primer doubles the surface lifespan vs. paint alone. We bake at 200°C for a hard, UV-stable finish that resists chipping.
